Storyline

What would the earth be like without the sun? We'll never know, but the emperor penguins come the nearest to that experience, as they suffer through winter in Antarctica, where temperatures can drop to minus 70 degrees centigrade. Meanwhile, the sun brightens the far north and the polar bears come out of hibernation. Spring in northern Canada means the migration of three million caribou across the arctic tundra. Winter in the deciduous forests of eastern Russia makes hunting difficult for the Amur leopard, the rarest cat in the world. On the island of New Guinea, birds have plenty of food, giving them time for elaborate mating rituals. "The sun influences life in the oceans just as it does on land," explains the narrator. We watch where the seals go to breed -- and we see the Great White sharks that follow them. What would the Earth be like without water? "Planet Earth" shows us where water is abundant and where it is scarce. During the dry season in the Kalahari desert, elephants go ... Written by
J. Spurlin

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[first lines]
Narrator:
A hundred years ago, there were one-and-a-half billion people on Earth. Now, over six billion crowd our fragile planet. But even so, there are still places barely touched by humanity. This series will take you to the last wildernesses and show you the planet and its wildlife as you have never seen them before.
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Soundtracks

Planet Earth End Theme
Written by George Fenton
Performed by BBC Concert OrchestraSee more »

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User Reviews

Perhaps the best nature photography I've seen. The theme here is to hop from place to place, from barren wastes to the oceans, from the plains of Africa to the ice of the Arctic and Antarctica. We are treated to the migrations of animals as they seek sustenance and the ability to mate and reproduce. We get to see elephants swimming from underwater footage. There are several predator versus prey scenes. The camera somehow manages to keep up with these intense moments. There is a scene where a great white shark shows its amazing power as it comes silently from the depths to nearly swallow a seal whole. Several views of birds of paradise as they go into their mating rituals. There's a sort of comic parade of baboons walking through water, trying to keep themselves as dry as possible. Suffice it to say, this series gained incredible respect from the critics. It deserved everything said about it. Great opening episode.

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